Disallowed and restricted products and services policies

Deceptive products and services

Advertising is not allowed for products and services whose purpose is to enable search users to bypass or deceive a public system, regulation, procedure or individual. This type of advertising includes:

• Essay-writing services and prewritten essays.
• Fake IDs: Identification that is designed to disguise the accurate age, name or other characteristics of the holder.
• Fake diplomas and education transcripts: Advertisements from institutions that provide fake education transcripts or diplomas or that promote web-based, unaccredited colleges that offer degrees.
• Bypassing copyright protection: Products or services that circumvent copyright protection or products that have disabled copyright protection.
• Evading traffic tickets: Any device or service that is designed to evade speed enforcement laws, including, but not limited to laser jammers, license plate sprays and license plate covers.
• Hacking & cracking: Sites that provide information or services to evade or bypass security systems of any kind or illegally access or tamper with software, servers or websites.
• Paid to click: Sites that offer to compensate users for clicking on ads or offers.
• Cable descrambling equipment: Advertising that promotes devices for descrambling cable or satellite signals.
• Beating drug tests: Products that facilitate or promote ways to "beat" a drug test.

Drugs and related paraphernalia

Advertising is not allowed for the following:

• Advertising that facilitates the distribution, use or cultivation of illegal substances, substances of questionable legality, or substances whose primary purpose seems to be recreational mind alteration.
• Advertising that facilitates the distribution of drug paraphernalia, which is defined as any legitimate equipment, product or material that is modified for making, using or concealing recreational drugs.

Fireworks and explosives

Advertising that facilitates the online sale of fireworks, explosives, hazardous material or pyrotechnic devices is not allowed.

Endangered/Threatened Species Products or Services

Advertising that promotes the trading or sale of products or services derived from endangered or threatened species is not allowed. This type of advertising includes:

• Elephant ivory
• Leopard, tiger, or lion hide/skin
• Tortoises, turtles, or other live animals
• Rhino horns
• Sale of tigers or other endangered/threatened animals
• Shark fins
• Whale or dolphin hunting trips

Homestay and room rentals

• Advertising for homestay accommodations must contain required government permit numbers on the site.
• Advertisers that promote daily or weekly room rentals must provide the required permits.

Immigration Services

Content related to any immigration-related matters requires government approval. Advertisers promoting immigration services must display their ad permit number on their landing page for the specific ad.

International matchmaking for marriage

Services related to international matchmaking for marriage or "mail-order brides" are prohibited.

Tobacco and electronic cigarettes

Advertising is generally allowed for products that are clearly intended for smoking cessation purposes. Advertising is not allowed for cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco and other tobacco products. Advertising for electronic cigarettes, including the cartridges and liquid nicotine solutions that are used in such devices, is not allowed even if marketed as a smoking cessation product.

Weapons, knives, firearms and ammunition

Advertising is not allowed that promotes products whose primary use is violence or could cause harm to an individual. Such content includes:

• Knives as weapons
  • Knives that are positioned as weapons or whose primary use is violence, including switchblade knives, disguised knives, buckle knives, lipstick case knives, air gauge knives, knuckle knives and writing pen knives.
• Guns
  • Guns, firearms, ammunition, integral weapons parts, accessories that are attachable to, or that aid in the use of a gun or firearm, products designed to create ammunition or guns, and products that aid in ammunition reloading.
    • Guns capable of firing a projectile by any method; for example, rifles, shotguns, handguns, semi-automatic or automatic guns, potentially functional replicas or antiques, blank guns, BB guns, paintball guns, and air guns.
    • Ammunition; for example, bullets, cartridges, and BB pellets.
    • Integral parts, including magazines, stocks, trigger assemblies, hammers, pulls, firing pins, barrels, silencers and converters.
    • Accessories that are attachable to a weapon; for example, scopes and grips.
    • Products designed to create ammunition or aid in reloading; for example, bullet presses and reloaders.
• Militia ordinance and grenades
  • Ordinance (military weaponry, ammunition and related parts), even if the item is unserviceable or has been "demilitarized.”
  • Grenades, including metal military practice grenades, rifle grenades, dummy grenades, grenade launcher attachments and mines, even if the item is unserviceable or has been “demilitarized.”.
• Other weapons
  • Brass, plastic or metal knuckles.
  • Leaded canes, staffs, crutches or sticks.
  • Zip guns, sand clubs, saps or blackjacks.